Not that long ago, Bryce Cain thought his college future would be in baseball.

That was before he came out for football for the first time prior to his junior year at Baker High School in Mobile.

“He’s just a phenomenal athlete,” Hornets’ coach Steve Normand said last week of his Auburn wide receiver commit. “He also has something you can’t coach – elite level speed. His times are legit. Coaches see that.

“If there is one thing that will make them throw down an offer fast, it’s size and speed. If players have that, they think the things we may screw up on the high school level they can fix in college.”

Cain has recorded multiple 40-yard dash times in the high 4.3 territory.

That has made the 5-foot-11, 170-pound senior a top target for many SEC schools. He committed to Hugh Freeze and the Tigers in June. The 4-star receiver is currently No. 11 among senior recruits in the state, according to the On3 rankings.

In addition to his speed, another Cain attribute that has impressed Baker coaches is his work ethic. Cain’s first foray onto the football field at any level came in the spring of 2022 and, needless to say, he wasn’t a natural at his position.

“He caught the ball with his facemask one time,” Normand joked. “The ball literally bounced off his head when he first came out. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ His hard work is a true testament to him. He came out, and he had played baseball his entire life. He had never played football even in like peewee or anything like that. He thought baseball was going to be his college career.”

That thought process quickly changed once he hit the football field. Cain caught 26 passes for 497 yards and 5 TDs a year ago in his first year of football. Those totals should increase dramatically for the Hornets in 2023.

“The first time he came out he had a hard time getting his hands right and tracking the ball,” said Baker senior quarterback Josh Flowers, a Mississippi State commit. “He would take his eyes off the ball. Now he tracks the ball when he runs. His speed was always there. Now his catching has gotten better. He has really evolved as a player.”

Normand said that is a compliment to Cain.

“He really wants to get better,” he said. “He doesn’t want to always rely on the fact that he’s faster than you. A few Sundays ago, it was raining, and I went by the school and he and Josh were out there doing the little things to help them get better. That’s what it’s all about.

“He’s like a sponge. All of these guys who are probably going to play at the next level want to get better every single day. They want to learn. They want to know what they need to do to get better every day. Bryce grinds every day even in the little things.”

Cain told AL.com earlier this summer that he is sold on Freeze and his plan at Auburn.

“I love it,” he said. “It feels like home. I feel like I have an opportunity to play early, and I think the coaching staff can get me to the next level. I’m already loving it.”

Cain is one of four Auburn commits among On3′s top 11 in-state players in the Class of 2024. The others are Chilton County LB Demarcus Riddick (3), Foley wide receiver Perry Thompson (4) and Booker T. Washington LB Joseph Phillips (6).

The Hornets open the season on Aug. 25 against rival Theodore.